BASIC MORPHOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS AND GROWTH PATTERN, OF HETEROTIS NILOTICUS FROM RIVER KADUNA FLOOD PLAINS, NIGERIA

Abstract

A total of 144 Heterotis niloticus specimen were collected from River Kaduna flood plains using the gill net. Relationship between basic morphometric measurement, growth pattern, food and feeding habit of H. niloticus, were examined and evaluated using linear regression and correlation through length-weight relationship (LWR), Sampling of the specimen was done fortnightly The specimens had mean standard length of 27.09± 4.73 cm, total length of 24.3- 49.4 cm, mean body weight ranges between 261.5±145.0 g, mean eyes diameter of 1.30±0.15cm, mean head length of 6.29±1.75 cm and mean snout length of 4.8±0.86 cm. There was a strong relationship between the standard length and the body weight, the eyes diameter and the standard length, snout length and standard length, head length and the standard length, snout length and the weight, head length and the weight (P<0.05). However, the correlation of the eye diameters and the weight was insignificant (P>0.05). We can conclude from this investigation that the growth pattern analysis of H. niloticus from River Kaduna flooded plains depicts a negatively allometric growth pattern with a b value of 1.16.